Unplugged in Ocean City

Tucked away on an alley in the north end of Ocean City, Steve and Regina Pannepacker’s three-bedroom, one-bathroom cottage is their perfect peaceful haven.

The cozy home is filled with a dozen or so surfboards for Steve’s passion and shelves packed with books for Regina’s passion. Then there are the bowls and bowls of sea glass, which they both love collecting.

Shortly after the pair married in 1986, Steve contacted several Ocean City Realtors, asking them to be on the lookout for a detached garage space they could convert into a small cottage. Finally, in 2015, one of them called.

“He said I found your name in my Rolodex,” recalled Regina, a registered nurse. “I hadn’t heard that word in a really long time.”

They loved the home’s location, the bright light that pours in from windows in all directions and the neighbors who ultimately became friends.

Built in the early 1900s, the home was originally a three-car garage for the main house that sits in front of it. It was later converted to include a two-bedroom property above the garage. It is believed the front property was owned and lived in by a seafaring ship’s captain, Steve said.

Around 2013, the main house and garage were divided into separate properties.

The Pannepackers converted the garage space into three distinct rooms — a guest bedroom, a storage area with a washer and dryer, and a space for Steve’s workbench that also houses surfboards and bicycles.

With their five children, three grandchildren plus two more on the way, and lots of siblings, nieces, and nephews, the home is usually bustling with activity. Regina has eight brothers and sisters, and Steve has one sibling. The couple also invite friends and family to use the cottage when their jobs keep them at home in Havertown.

Steve, who works in television and film as an art director and prop coordinator, did most of the decorating. His deep love for Hawaii, where he and Regina made a pilgrimage in 2008, was a huge influence on the home’s decor.

“It’s a combination of Ralph Lauren and a Hawaiian style,” Steve said. “Ralph Lauren’s look included leather, which inspired the leather chairs, and that is also an older Hawaiian look.”

The kitchen is small but workable for the couple, who like to cook. They eat at the drop table in the living room that has an extendable leaf. Closed, it’s large enough for Steve and Regina, but it can accommodate six when open. When a larger crowd is visiting, they set up a table in the front yard or alley.

The living room is also where they relax and entertain. When it’s just the two of them, they are often reading — Steve in his comfortable brown leather chair and Regina curled up on the nearby couch. When guests visit, the room is where they talk and laugh and share each other’s company.

“This is our everything room,” Regina said. “We don’t have a TV or Wi-Fi so there’s lots of conversation.”

Surfboards are a part of the decor in almost every room. The wooden board that hangs over the living room sofa was made by local surf historian Bill Simon about 30 years ago and is a reproduction of a 1930s surfboard by Pacific System Homes.

Hidden behind other houses off a main road, the home’s orange front and garage doors help friends and pizza delivery drivers find them.

An avid surfer since high school, Steve spent summers working and surfing in Ocean City while Regina grew up day-tripping to the beach town with her family. It was an important part of both their childhoods.

“My parents spent two summers as the house parents for the waitresses at the Flanders,” recalled Regina. “Having had nine kids of their own, they got the job pretty easily. Our family’s love for the beach is deep-rooted.”

Regina’s parents’ love of sea glass trickled down to Regina and Steve. Most days, the couple take walks and usually find a sea glass treasure.

The beach town is woven into the fabric of their lives. They spend time at both the beach and the bay, and often head to the Second Street pier to take in the sunset.

“This home is a retreat where we decompress,” Regina said. “You come over that bridge and smell the air, and something comes over you.”

Is your house a Haven? Nominate your home by email (and send some digital photographs) at properties@inquirer.com.